Eng vs Ind 2021: Abandoned, Lost or Postponed? The outcome of the Manchester test will have major repercussions for the ECB

News

ICC could award; if the test is not rescheduled, the ECB wants the state to be lost to square the series and claim insurance payments

The match is off, but the fight for the result may just begin.

Currently, while the ECB and the BCCI are analyzing the consequences of the test that never was, we know neither the outcome of the match nor the series. We do not know if the series will end the English season of 2022 or if a one-off test will be scheduled to mitigate the substantial losses it incurs. We don’t even know what the implications of insurance are.

The basic facts are this: if the ICC considers that the test has been canceled due to Covid, the game will be considered abandoned. As a result, the series will end (at least for now) as a 2-1 victory over India. This scenario would also mean that the ECB does not receive any insurance payments, as it is not covered by this eventuality.

But if the ICC decides that India has effectively lost the match, the game will be awarded to England and the result of the series will be considered 2-2. This scenario would also allow the ECB to lodge a claim for insurance payment.

The compromise solution, offered by the BCCI, is the reprogramming of this game. With the white sides of India set to tour England in 2022, it looks like there will be a small window available for this solution, although it is not yet clear whether the party would be treated as an independent or as an independent. completion of the current series.

“We need to breathe and ask the ICC to formally judge the outcome,” said Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive. “The BCCI has offered to reschedule the match, which is good news. But I still don’t know if this is part of this series, a new series of one match or the first match of another series.

“These are the things we need to take some time for. I know fans will be eager to know. Players are too. But we need to spend time in these situations.”

While the public statements from both boards sounded conciliatory, ESPNcricinfo has learned that behind the scenes, the action has been as competitive as anything we’ve seen on the field. The ECB has stated that if there is no reordered date for the game, the test should be considered lost by India. This would not only square the series at 2-2, but would allow the ECB to claim insurance payments for lost revenue, which could exceed GBP 30 million (approx. $ 41.6 million).

The ECB is not covered by the cancellation of the insurance affected by Covid. Although Harrison initially seemed to imply that he was in an interview with Sky Sports, he later clarified to confirm that he was not. Instead, he confirmed that the ECB will reimburse all subscribers. Crucially, he argues that the party was not canceled due to a Covid outbreak, but due to pors of a Covid outbreak.

The terms of the ICC World Testing Championship accept Covid’s outbursts as an acceptable reason to leave a match, tour, or series if it has a “significant impact” on a team’s ability to present a team. If they accept it by of Covid as a reason for abandonment remains to be seen. Harrison, and separately Dinesh Karthik, who worked with Sky’s commentary team during the series, hinted that the decision was the fatigue of bubble life, like anything else.

“There is a tangible difference between these things [forfeit or cancellation]Said Harrison. “This is not a Covid cancellation. This is a match canceled due to serious concerns about the mental health and well-being of one of the teams. There is a difference. But it makes no difference to the buyers of ‘a ticket will be returned in full. It makes a difference to the ECB’ s balance sheet.

“You can’t be frivolous about mental health issues, and that’s what it’s all about. India has been wonderful tourists, but they’ve been here for a long time. Playing at this level, week after week, is difficult. Even all if we think we’re coming out of the pandemic, life is different for players. When Covid gets into an environment, it can accelerate very quickly. “

The ECB remains adamant that Covid itself was not the reason for the abandonment. He notes that the entire India squad was tested on Thursday – the day before the match – and all the results were negative. So in principle they had around 20 players to choose from.

However, four members of the support staff – head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and field coach R Sridhar and later physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar – had tested positive, while the other physiotherapist Nitin Patel had been identified as a close contact in the first batch of cases. Parmar had been working closely with the players for the past few days, with Patel away from the squad. As a result, players from the Indian national team have expressed nervousness over the mix, fearing that the virus could incubate within the group.

Harrison struggled to point out that IPL was not a relevant factor in India’s decision making. Players from both teams taking part in the competition are now expected to arrange flights from the UK to the UAE on Saturday, with the possibility that a six-day quarantine period may be required. The tournament will resume in the UAE on September 19 after being postponed to May after a burst of Covid in the bubble. Any player who tests positive in the UK should be isolated for a minimum of ten days.

“Let me be very clear,” Harrison said. “I don’t think the IPL has anything to do with this. It’s not a situation created by the rescheduled IPL. Basically, I don’t believe it for a second.”

With the game currently considered “canceled” (not “lost”), the ECB is responsible for revoking this decision. If he does, he will have to answer it under the ICC Conflict Resolution Committee, which is currently chaired by Michael Beloff, QC. A private reward before reaching this stage is also a possibility, although offering another test next year may be enough.

If the matter is brought before this committee, the whole matter could become quite disorderly. The ECB is likely to claim that the Indian team has breached the protocols by attending the launch of Shastri’s books (he is called a “zero patient” within the England camp) and will maintain the suspension of the game because the players seniors from India simply refused to participate. The details of what constitutes a breach will be important, as Harrison said the teams were no longer in biosafety bubbles.

“We’re at a managed standard of living, which is a much better and healthier place for long-term players,” he said. “But it carries some risks. Let’s be clear: we never tried to sell this as a Covid-free environment, we tried it as a Covid-managed environment for our Indian friends who have been in bubbles for a long time, as well as the Covid players. ‘England, it was a really important part of them being here for a period of three months this summer.’

The Indian camp is likely to argue that it lost faith in any protocol and pointed to the three invasions of YouTube blogger Jarvo as proof of security flaws. They will also point out England’s abandonment of their South African tour late last year. Then, while a couple of England players tested positive initially for the virus, it was later found to be false positives.

Meanwhile, for the spectators, the host club, Lancashire, has guaranteed the return. However, they cannot reimburse travel or accommodation expenses. Lancashire chief executive Daniel Gidney described the club as “devastated” by development.

George Dobell is a senior correspondent for ESPNcricinfo

.Source

Share this:

Related